The present invention relates to an arrangement construction of an ABS system (antilock brake system).
The purpose of the ABS system mounted on a motor vehicle is to increase the stability of vehicle body posture and the driveability in the case of sudden braking and in other cases. The ABS system has a construction such that an ABS actuator for controlling the pressure of oil sent to each of wheel cylinders is disposed at an intermediate position of a brake pipe which connects a master cylinder to the wheel cylinder for a front wheel and a rear wheel. When the ABS system is mounted, it is usually disposed in an engine room on the vehicle body front side from viewpoints of shortening of the brake pipe around the ABS actuator, simplicity of pipeline, and the like.
FIG. 8 shows a conventional arrangement construction of an ABS system. In this figure, an ABS actuator 61, which is a principal component of the ABS system, is installed to a vehicle body via an ABS actuator bracket 62. Specifically, the ABS actuator 61 is mounted on a bracket base 62a of the ABS actuator bracket 62 and is fastened by bolting or other means, and in this state, a plurality of vehicle body attachment elements 62b of the ABS actuator bracket 62 are attached to the vehicle body side by bolting or other means, by which the ABS actuator 61 is fixed to the vehicle body via the ABS actuator bracket 62. The attachment position of the ABS actuator bracket 62 is set, considering the layout etc., in a location on a substantially horizontal vehicle body panel 67 formed in a tire house 66 between a suspension tower (strut attachment portion) 64 in an engine room 63 and a dash panel 65.
The ABS actuator bracket 62 having been used conventionally is a sheet part, and as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9(a) to 9(c), it is made up of the flat-shaped bracket base 62a and the vehicle body attachment elements 62b (in these figures, three vehicle body attachment elements 62b are provided), which are flush with the bracket base 62a and project horizontally to the outside from predetermined edges of the bracket base 62a. The aforementioned bracket base 62a is provided with erection elements 62c for attaching the ABS actuator 61, for example, in both front and rear end portions. Thus, the ABS actuator 61 is attached to the erection elements 62c by bolting or other means, and the vehicle body attachment elements 62b are attached to the vehicle body panel 67. In this state, the flat-shaped bracket base 62a of the ABS actuator bracket 62 is flush against the vehicle body panel 67, and the lower surface of the bracket base 62a is brought into contact with the upper surface of the vehicle body panel 67 without a gap therebetween substantially over the whole area.
However, the above-described conventional arrangement construction of an ABS system has problems as described below. In the conventional arrangement construction, the ABS actuator bracket 62 is attached in the state in which the bracket base 62a of the ABS actuator bracket 62 is flush against the vehicle body panel 67. Therefore, dust and water are liable to be accumulated between the bracket base 62a and the vehicle body panel 67, and the dust and water accumulated therebetween sometimes cause a failure of the ABS actuator 61, corrosion of the vehicle body panel 67, and other troubles. In order to remove the dust and water accumulated between the bracket base 62a and the vehicle body panel 67, the ABS actuator bracket 62 must be removed from the vehicle body panel 67, the work for removal being troublesome.
Moreover, a main harness (cable) for supplying power to the ABS actuator 61 and other various electrical parts for vehicle body, ABS harnesses (not shown) for connecting various sensors (not shown) such as a wheel speed sensor and a body acceleration sensor to the ABS actuator 61, and other harnesses may be damaged by the contact with an edge of the ABS actuator bracket 62. Therefore, it is actually difficult to lay out harnesses and cables around the ABS actuator bracket 62. Also, harnesses and cables laid out in an unconstrained state are vibrated by vibrations of vehicle body occurring during running and therefore hit a plurality of brake pipes 68 (see FIG. 8), which are important members, connected to the ABS actuator 61, so that these brake pipes 68 may be damaged.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and accordingly an object thereof is to provide an arrangement construction of an ABS system configured so that a vehicle part such as a harness laid out around an ABS actuator can be protected, the vehicle part such as a harness can be prevented from hitting a brake pipe, and moreover the strength of an ABS actuator bracket can be increased.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an arrangement construction of an ABS system, comprising an ABS actuator for preventing a wheel from locking at the time of braking, the ABS actuator constituting the ABS system; an ABS actuator bracket for fixing the ABS actuator to a vehicle body panel; ABS harnesses for connecting various sensors such as a wheel speed sensor and a vehicle body acceleration sensor to the ABS actuator; and brake pipes for supplying and discharging brake oil to and from the ABS actuator, wherein the ABS actuator bracket is formed by a bracket base on which the ABS actuator is mounted and vehicle body attachment elements attached to the vehicle body panel, and a space portion having a space corresponding to the dimension of a vehicle part such as a harness is provided between the vehicle body panel and the bracket base of the ABS actuator bracket in a state in which the ABS actuator bracket is attached to the vehicle body panel, whereby the vehicle part is arranged so as to pass through the space portion.
Also, in the present invention, protecting means for protecting the vehicle part is provided at the end of the bracket base of the ABS actuator bracket corresponding to the vehicle part.
Also, in the present invention, a flange, which is formed so as to erect by bending a part of the bracket base to the opposite side to the space portion, is provided as the protecting means.
Also, in the present invention, a bent portion of the flange with respect to the end of the bracket base has a curved shape, and the curvedly-shaped portion is arranged so as to correspond to the vehicle part.
Also, in the present invention, an ABS harness attachment element for fixing the ABS harnesses to the ABS actuator bracket is formed integrally with the flange.
Also, in the present invention, the ABS harness attachment element is provided at the end of the bracket base of the ABS actuator bracket in a state of being bent upward with respect to the bracket base and being erected substantially vertically, so that the brake pipes are arranged between the ABS harness attachment element and the ABS actuator, and the ABS harnesses are attached to a location on the opposite side to the brake pipes with respect to the ABS harness attachment element.
Also, in the present invention, the ABS harness attachment element is formed with an elongated hole for lockingly fixing an ABS harness positioning clip in a locked state, so that the clip is lockingly fixed to the elongated hole in a locked state to position the ABS harness with the clip, and the ABS harnesses are laid out in the direction farther from the brake pipes by the positioning of the ABS harnesses by using the clip.
Also, in the present invention, a flange, which is bent so as to have a curved face and extends vertically, is provided in the side portion of the ABS harness attachment portion as ABS harness protecting means, and the ABS harnesses are laid out so as to be in contact with the curved face of the root portion of the flange.
Also, the present invention provides an arrangement construction of an ABS system, in which a vehicle part attachment element is provided on an ABS actuator bracket for attaching an ABS actuator to a vehicle body panel, the vehicle part attachment element is arranged at a position at which brake pipes of the ABS actuator are separated from a vehicle part, and at least one of the brake pipe and the vehicle part is fixed to the vehicle part attachment element.
Also, in the present invention, the vehicle part is ABS harnesses for connecting various sensors such as a wheel speed sensor and a vehicle body acceleration sensor to the ABS actuator.